Which Cruise Ship and/or Itinerary for First Time Cruisers?

[WaltsMartini]

I am SO excited to finally be planning our first Disney cruise! However, I am not sure which ship or what itinerary might be best for us. I wanted to ask the experts - if you were recommending a DCL ship and/or itinerary for first time cruisers, which would you recommend?

Some background info:

• We are aiming for either a March 2024 or March 2025 cruise - will know in a few weeks what our funds will allow.
• It’s going to be me, my husband, son (either 8 or 9 at time of travel) and my daughter (either 6 or 7 at time of travel)
• We would like to do a 5 day Caribbean cruise - up in the air on eastern or western.
• I LOVE Disney and so do my kids. My husband HATES Disney. However, we stayed at Poly this past May and there were things he liked - nice sit down dinners, drinking by the pool, and anything where he and the kids got to play together. He also loathes crowds.
• This is my first time cruising, and I am a little nervous about seasickness for myself and my daughter - we both have motion sickness issues.
• DH has cruised before as a teen and didn’t like what he calls the “norovirus vibe;” he sailed on a Carnival cruise.

So, given that info, what do you experts recommend? I cannot wait to hear (or in this case, read!)

 

[JWelch62]

Your ship choice may be greatly limited by your choice of month and itinerary. For example, the March 2023 Caribbean choices are limited to 4 or 5N cruises on the Magic. Also, there are only Western itineraries shown in that time period. However, March 2024 is a very long time away.

My wife and I started with DCL when our kids were much younger. Now they are grown and we sail without them. Lots of choices that don't really involve a mouse, if that's what your husband wants.

I can't comment on sea sickness. We've be fortunate to not be impacted by that.

Disney is the cleanest cruise line you will ever sail on. Carnival is not in the same category in that regard. I've sailed 17 times with DCL and we've never had an issue. The CDC keeps track of health scores. DCL routinely scores in the 90s with 100 fairly common. https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/public/public.htm

ETA you may want to pick an itinerary that stops at Castaway Cay, Disney's private island. Not all Caribbean itineraries will stop there.

One more edit - the kids clubs are great, and will give you and your husband plenty of adult time in the adults only spaces

 

[jcarwash]

Usually when I see this type of question, my advice is to start with "where do you want to sail from and when" rather than ship or itinerary.

For a first Disney cruise, in my opinion your first step is to look at the sailings from the home port, Port Canaveral, because it's a safe bet that in 2024 and 2025, Disney ships will be sailing 3 or 4 night Bahamas (currently Disney Wish) and 7-night Caribbean cruises (currently Disney Fantasy). These are the most common cruises and easy to get to if you're already familiar with flying into Orlando. And, every single one will have a planned stop at Disney's Castaway Cay.

You mentioned a 5-day Caribbean cruise, which relatively speaking isn't as common but also involves sailing from another city, such as Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Galveston, or New Orleans. For example, in 2022 and 2023, the Disney Dream and then the Disney Magic has 5-night Caribbean cruises and 5-night Bahamas cruises from Miami, then in late 2023 the Dream will have them from Fort Lauderdale. But what 5-nights are going to be offered, and from where, in 2024 and 2025 isn't as easy to predict -- other than they are currently quite rare (like 1 a year maybe!) from Port Canaveral.

 

[holula]

There are no 5 night Eastern cruises due to logistics. If you only want 5 night, you’ll be on a Western cruise. Most 5 night cruises sail from Miami at the moment but probably Port Everglades by 2024.

 

[Cheburashka]

I recommend the Magic or Wonder for you. It has a very nice adult pool deck, and Castaway Cay has an adult-only beach. Palo is a good adult restaurant.

 

[ofcabbagesandkings]

If your funds allow, sail concierge on the Magic to the Caribbean. I’m also married to a Disney Scrooge, and the concierge status allowed us to board early even though it was our first cruise, have the lounge as a space away from the crowds, and if you’re going to Castaway, you’ll have first dibs on renting a cabana if you want one (I’ve never been, but people seem to feel it’s worth it). There will also be a lot less people in Castaway when it’s the Magic vs one of the bigger ships. I recommend booking Palo for dinner but not the brunch, I thought brunch was just OK and now they’ve dropped the buffet. If you hate crowds and are worried about Noro, the dining options by the pool deck or the restaurants that offer seated breakfast/lunch might be better than Cabanas. We were on a 7 day cruise and only ate at Cabanas one day when it was in port and we had an afternoon excursion, so it was pretty empty, and we never got sick. I thought the pool deck and table service had better food than Cabanas.

 

[sethschroeder]

1) Do you need to do Disney or what about something like Royal Caribbean which is less expensive and has more activities on the big ships?
2) Disney ships are all somewhat similar do you have a specific princess that you love most? Some ships have themed areas for certain princesses.
3) Go with a longer 7 Day cruise IMO as it's cheaper per day when working out the math and will have more stops and time on the ship to see everything. Something like a 3/4/5 day cruise just doesn't give you enough time IMO to really get used to the ship and cruising.

I would suggest Disney Fantasy for an Eastern Caribbean as a good first cruise and it was a cruise we really liked.

 

[Lillebelle]

I'm gonna +1 concierge on the Magic or Wonder if you can swing it. We started with a 5 night on the Magic and it was a great intro to DCL for us (and cruising at all). It's long enough to be able to enjoy the ship but not so long you'll be trapped if you find it isn't for you. The smaller ships have a more relaxed vibe IMHO, and concierge as mentioned will help you avoid what crowds there might be. The older ships are also more affordable so you can get more bang for your buck. Yes, the big ships have some more bells & whistles, but for your first cruise, the original ships offer plenty to do.

As for seasickness, I don't have much advice to offer other than there was a thread recently about people having really rough seas sailing out of Galveston. Just something to consider once the available itineraries come out.

 

[Cheburashka]

I recommend booking Palo for dinner but not the brunch, I thought brunch was just OK and now they’ve dropped the buffet. I thought the pool deck and table service had better food than Cabanas.

Yes, a full service breakfast and lunch at an MDR will provide better food and service than the Cabanas buffet. The MDR hours are more limited, though. I second having dinner rather than brunch at Palo. I always found brunch underwhelming, even when they had the buffet. Sure there were a lot of nice buffet items but how much can a person eat at once? Dinner simply has better entrees.

Since your husband doesn't want it to be too Disney-ish, I recommend having dinner at Palo on either your scheduled first night at Rapunzel's (if sailing the Magic) or your scheduled first night at Tiana's Place (if sailing the Wonder), or the first night of Animator's Palate if sailing the Dream or Fantasy. That way you'll avoid either the Rapunzel dinner show, the Tiana dinner show, or the Crush interaction while you're at Palo. Unless you're concierge, you won't be able to ensure your dining rotation in advance, so I recommend just waiting until you board to make the Palo dinner reservation. They hold back availability for onboard booking. (On the Wish, all bets are off, though, because people have reported difficulty booking anything on that ship. That is not the norm, though, and is another reason not to sail her.)

Again, I recommend either the Magic or Wonder as the best ships for your husband, and definitely NOT the Wish at all.

 

[Cheburashka]

OP, the Wish has princess theming in every stateroom, so is not a good match for someone who "hates DIsney" as you say your husband does. It also has widely-reported issues with poorly developed adult areas, which doesn't sound right for your husband's tastes. The classic ships are less crowded than the bigger ships, and the original four ships are more understated in their Disney theming than the Wish. All Disney ships are also very clean, so there won't be any "norovirus" vibe on any of them.

I hope you and your family have a wonderful cruise on the ship that is right for you. Have fun!

 

[Geomom]

Spring 2024 itineraries will come out in Sept/Oct. 5-7 nights would be a good length. The 3-4 nights are just so short..you have just figured out the ship/unpacked and have to pack up and leave. Also, the Wish is currently doing those. As a new ship, those 3-4 nt cruises cost more than the 5nt ones on the older ships. Any ship/itinerary is good for a first timer. We book for itinerary first, so our first cruise was a 7nt August Alaska cruise. For your DH who hates Disney and crowds, I'd recommend a verandah room, so he has a place to get away from others when he wants. (Midship and 'lower' decks are best for the motion sensitive.) Dream/Fantasy verandah rooms cost less than Magic/Wonder ones as there are more verandahs on those ships. We sail Oceanview in the magic/wonder to save thousands of dollars over a verandah. Dream/fantasy, the difference is hundreds and worth it to have private outdoor space on ships that hold more people. We preferred the adult areas on the Magic/Wonder. Dream/Fantasy have more family activities like Midship detective agency (3 different Disney mysteries to solve by visiting interactive artwork around the ship), mini golf (9 holes), and the Aquaduck raft waterslide (for 2 people.). We love the main dining room food--different menus nightly, and you and your serving staff rotate through the 3 dining rooms. Most itineraries (not Alaska or Northern Europe) will have a pirate night with fireworks around 10:30pm.

If you choose a 5nt Western, there are usually 2 different itineraries...1 with Cozumel and 1 with Grand Cayman, if coming from Florida, they should both have Castaway Cay as well--Disneys private island, with free lunch buffet. Between Cozumel and Grand Cayman, I'd probably choose Cozumel, mainly due to Grand Cayman being a tender port...there's a greater chance of missing that port due to wind/weather.

Disney is constantly cleaning and maintaining the ships, so you shouldn't be overly worried about Noro....it can still happen on any ship, but they immediately enact enhanced cleaning, buffets go to crew serving vs guest serving, etc.

Seasickness--for your kids, I would check with the pediatrician as to what non drowsy options are available. For the adults, we find that chewable Bonine (meclizine) works well and is non drowsy. I also bring Dramamine naturals (ginger pills) for myself and some ginger hard candies. Green apple slices are available in all the MDRs and help with the queasiness--we got some for my adult kids one night at dinner. Ginger ale is also available in the MDRs and at 1 of the self serve beverage stations on the pool deck.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I would stick with the smaller ships; there are far fewer passengers on them and less competition in the Walt Disney Theater. Also, as a pp said, the Disney decor is not so in your face. Dh appreciates that too.

Don't feel pressured to do Palo just yet unless you have other family members sailing with you to eat dinner with your kids, such as grandparents. Our kids weren't that into the clubs in the early days or they'd do an activity or 2 and then want to leave. Until you get to know how your kids react, no point in trying to cram so much in. I don't think we did Palo til our 3rd DCL cruise and we're doing #26 in September.

Also, unless you typically book Club Level & cabanas at the resorts, don't feel compelled to book a suite & cabana with DCL. We stay deluxe at WDW and feel the level of service in a standard, non-suite stateroom is fine. I'm not trying to knock those who book suites; I've heard all good things about them but we can take 3 cruises for the cost of one cruise in a suite, and I'd rather keep on cruising. Everyone has their own opinion on this, so it's not a matter of right or wrong, only preference. I'm only mentioning this because some posts give the impression that you won't have a good time unless you're in a suite & cabana. The other 90% of the passengers might disagree.

I think 5 nights is a good starter. Enough time to get a real feel for cruising but not so long in case you feel it's not a good fit for you and your family. Your kids are at a great age to try it but be warned, it's addicting.

ETA: As for preventing seasickness, cabins that are mid-ship, and closer to the water line have the least amount of movement. That doesn't mean you must be on deck 1 but if you're contemplating between deck 5 vs. paying extra for deck 9, it's something to consider. Having fresh air on a verandah definitely helps so I would consider that if possible.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Yes, a full service breakfast and lunch at an MDR will provide better food and service than the Cabanas buffet. The MDR hours are more limited, though. I second having dinner rather than brunch at Palo. I always found brunch underwhelming, even when they had the buffet. Sure there were a lot of nice buffet items but how much can a person eat at once? Dinner simply has better entrees.

Since your husband doesn't want it to be too Disney-ish, I recommend having dinner at Palo on either your scheduled first night at Rapunzel's (if sailing the Magic) or your scheduled first night at Tiana's Place (if sailing the Wonder), or the first night of Animator's Palate if sailing the Dream or Fantasy. That way you'll avoid either the Rapunzel dinner show, the Tiana dinner show, or the Crush interaction while you're at Palo. Unless you're concierge, you won't be able to ensure your dining rotation in advance, so I recommend just waiting until you board to make the Palo dinner reservation. They hold back availability for onboard booking. (On the Wish, all bets are off, though, because people have reported difficulty booking anything on that ship. That is not the norm, though, and is another reason not to sail her.)

Again, I recommend either the Magic or Wonder as the best ships for your husband, and definitely NOT the Wish at all.

JMHO, I think the shows at dinner are the most fun for kids and what made my ds later say on a RCCL cruise, "Is this all we do for dinner? Just come sit here every night?" I get that her dh isn't big into Disney but it's a shame to make the kids miss out.

 

[Cheburashka]

JMHO, I think the shows at dinner are the most fun for kids and what made my ds later say on a RCCL cruise, "Is this all we do for dinner? Just come sit here every night?" I get that her dh isn't big into Disney but it's a shame to make the kids miss out.

Yes, and Animation Magic is the best of all of them imo, and does make dinner at Animator's Palate very special. Even just the theming of the MDRs makes them memorable. I'm not enthused about the Wish but I would like to dine at Arendelle because the theming looks very nice. Dinner on DCL is always special.

 

[DisneyConvert]

I am SO excited to finally be planning our first Disney cruise! However, I am not sure which ship or what itinerary might be best for us. I wanted to ask the experts - if you were recommending a DCL ship and/or itinerary for first time cruisers, which would you recommend?
. . .
So, given that info, what do you experts recommend? I cannot wait to hear (or in this case, read!)

Hmm, well I may have had something in common with your husband as 16 years ago, I refused to consider cruises (we had done WDW a lot), even though wife, mother-in-law and 2 year old son had had a great time on the Magic.

I would go with a 4 or even 3 day cruise out of Port Canaveral if you can. The Magic and Wish feel less crowded to me, but take what you get. Take a tour of Nassau if you've never been . . . . or else treat it like a "sea day" and enjoy the pool and the play areas (the Dream's sports deck is fun!). Castaway Cay . . . get off the ship by 8am and do some fun things on the island.

The entertainment, food, bars, decor, characters and CM interactions . . . if all goes well, you will be booking a return at a 10% discount!

 

[pjacobi]

My husband HATES Disney.

You forgot to inform your husband that he can play golf or go fishing at WDW. There is something for everyone at WDW if you choose to look for it.

-Paul

 

[tidefan]

One other thing about the Magic/Wonder since it will be 4 of you. The staterooms are larger on the "classic" ships (Magic/Wonder), so you would get a bit more space and storage on those. Also, a prior poster had an excellent point about how much more manageable Castaway Cay is on the classic ships (due to 1,400 less people)...

 

[Mommytofourkids]

Yes, a full service breakfast and lunch at an MDR will provide better food and service than the Cabanas buffet. The MDR hours are more limited, though. I second having dinner rather than brunch at Palo. I always found brunch underwhelming, even when they had the buffet. Sure there were a lot of nice buffet items but how much can a person eat at once? Dinner simply has better entrees.

Since your husband doesn't want it to be too Disney-ish, I recommend having dinner at Palo on either your scheduled first night at Rapunzel's (if sailing the Magic) or your scheduled first night at Tiana's Place (if sailing the Wonder), or the first night of Animator's Palate if sailing the Dream or Fantasy. That way you'll avoid either the Rapunzel dinner show, the Tiana dinner show, or the Crush interaction while you're at Palo. Unless you're concierge, you won't be able to ensure your dining rotation in advance, so I recommend just waiting until you board to make the Palo dinner reservation. They hold back availability for onboard booking. (On the Wish, all bets are off, though, because people have reported difficulty booking anything on that ship. That is not the norm, though, and is another reason not to sail her.)

Again, I recommend either the Magic or Wonder as the best ships for your husband, and definitely NOT the Wish at all.

How does breakfast and lunch at MDRs work? I know they assign you to a specific MDR for dinner, but if we want to go for breakfast and lunch too, do we go to the same MDR that we have assigned for dinner that night? Or do we need to call in advance to make reservations?

 

[Stitch'sCousin]

You will see in the Navigator which MDR is open for breakfast and lunch, along with the hours. No reservations are required - you just check in at the door and they will take you to a table. We didn't do MDR breakfasts, but we always found the MDR to be very quiet and not crowded at lunch.

 

[Mommytofourkids]

You will see in the Navigator which MDR is open for breakfast and lunch, along with the hours. No reservations are required - you just check in at the door and they will take you to a table. We didn't do MDR breakfasts, but we always found the MDR to be very quiet and not crowded at lunch.

Ohh thank you! For breakfast did you do cabana? If we do lunch at the MDR, do we get the same server that we are assigned to for dinners?